


Dance Dance Relaxation

by Cinaed



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Clubbing, Dancing, Emotional Baggage, Female Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-25 12:17:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17121212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinaed/pseuds/Cinaed
Summary: After recent events, Carolina is falling into old habits. Kaikaina decides she needs a break.





	Dance Dance Relaxation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [totes_unrepentant_fangirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/totes_unrepentant_fangirl/gifts).



> Written for the rvbsecretsanta exchange, for [totesunrepentant](http://totesunrepentant.tumblr.com/), who asked for female friendship, Kaikaina and Carolina, and Carolina getting dressed up. 
> 
> Thanks goes out to anneapocalypse for beta-reading this for me, to CC for helping me with Carolina's fashion choices, and to Arirashkae for the sneeze joke. 
> 
> Totesunrepenantfangirl also drew Carolina in her suit! You can find it [here](http://cinaed.tumblr.com/post/181519056794/dance-dance-relaxation-cinaed-red-vs-blue) on Tumblr. 
> 
> There are some vague spoilers for Season 16, though this is set in a nebulous post-season 17 world.

Carolina is in the middle of her afternoon training when Kaikaina bursts into her apartment building’s gym. The other woman’s a whirlwind in a bright yellow tube top, short skirt, and four-inch heels that she moves in like flats.

Kaikaina stops in front of the elliptical and plants her hands on her hips. She leans in, ignoring the concept of personal space, and stares at Carolina. She looks determined. “I’m here on a mission,” she announces.

“Are you?” Carolina says in a neutral tone, though she’s already inclined to be amused. In the weeks since they returned from fixing the broken timeline, Kaikaina has bounced between throwing parties and raves for seemingly the entire population of Chorus and riling up her brother and the other Reds and Blues.

Kaikaina nods. “Yeah! Big Bro said you stopped coming to his lazy lessons. He didn’t say it, but he’s worried.” Before Carolina can react, Kaikaina barrels on. “So I decided it’s my turn to help you relax.” She draws out the final word, rolling it around in her mouth and turning it vaguely dirty.

Carolina’s unfazed by the possible innuendo. Kaikaina could make reciting the UNSC code sound pornographic, and her default interaction seems to be flirting with anyone she deems hot in her vicinity without any expectation of the person flirting back. Carolina is less nonchalant over Grif’s concern. She tries to remember the last time she had a meditation session with him and can’t. Was it really back on Iris? That feels like a lifetime ago.

Carolina grabs her towel off the elliptical handle and dabs at her face, buying herself a few seconds. The idea of doing nothing, even for an hour, makes her restless, anxiety curling in her gut. Still, if Grif’s worried, she’ll power through it. “I’ll meditate with him tomorrow.”

“Good!” Kaikaina says. “But tonight we’re going out.”

Carolina lowers the towel. Kaikaina’s excited grin is stretched from ear to ear, and she’s managing to somehow bounce in those heels. Carolina raises an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“You need to get laid, bitch!” Kaikaina’s face falls a little when Carolina’s other eyebrow joins the first. She wrinkles her nose and shrugs. “Or not. If you don’t want to grind down on some hot chick or dude, that’s cool too. But we’re still going to party. There’s this new club that has half-off drinks--”

It’s been years since she was in a club. The last time-- Old memories rise up, and Carolina forces them away. She shakes her head. “Thank you, but no. Just tell Grif I’ll see him tomorrow.”

Kaikaina groans loudly and half-flops against the elliptical. “Ugh, don’t be lame. You’ve got two choices. Either you and I smoke some of Bro’s pot, or you go to this club with me.”

“How about option C? None of the above.”

“Nope!” Kaikaina’s pout fades and turns to something serious. “Listen, I know we don’t really know each other. But you’re Dex’s friend and you’re badass. You could probably snap my neck which your thighs, which, side-note, is super hot. But you haven’t taken a break since we got back from all that timey-wimey bullshit. You’re going to wear yourself out, and then you won’t be able to protect anyone, not even yourself.”

Carolina blinks. Most of the time Kaikaina spouts conspiracy theories, nonsensical non sequiturs, and lewd innuendos. But every once in a while she’ll show a breadth and depth of emotional honesty that cuts straight to the heart. It takes Carolina by surprise every time.

Kaikaina doesn’t wait for a response. She just slaps Carolina’s shoulder and grins. “So we’re going to party! Drinks are on me. And a dress, if you need one. I love to shop.”

Carolina remembers her favorite dress, the blue one she’d worn every time Niner or York dragged her out to a bar or club in between missions. It had flowed like magic and fit like a glove, and she’d loved it almost as much as her armor. She wonders what happened to it after she fell, after Maine, after--

The air conditioning is set at the standard room temperature, but a chill prickles down her spine, and her arms goosebump with the memory of cold. She steps away from Kaikaina, moving into cool-down stretches before her muscles can start complaining.

She takes a deep breath, lets it out slowly.

“I have something to wear,” she says in the direction of Kaikaina’s neon yellow heels. “We’ll meet at my apartment at nineteen hundred?”

Kaikaina laughs. “Nineteen hundred? Bitch, use regular time. Who wants to do math to know when we're meeting? But we need to make it at least six o’clock so we can do Happy Hour.”

 

* * *

 

Kaikaina lets out a wolf whistle as soon as Carolina opens the door. “Damn, bitch, I didn’t think you could get hotter.”

Carolina smooths a hand down her suit. “Thanks,” she says, smiling slightly. She’d forgotten how much she enjoyed dressing up for a night at a club: the calming routine of styling her hair and applying makeup, slipping out of her armor and into something lighter and less constricting. She’s wearing a teal suit. The jacket is well pressed and fitted, accentuating her form and flaring at her hips. It's also loose and light enough so that no one will notice the concealed gun holstered at her back. She’s gotten out of the habit of heels, so she’s compromised with comfortable white slingbacks she can run in. She’s finished off the look with simple gold earrings and necklace and her hair in a loose braid. She quirks an eyebrow at Kaikaina. “Interesting look yourself.”

“Right?” Kaikaina says, grinning back. She’s wearing a black skirt even shorter than her earlier one, with a bright purple top that shows off her stomach and mesh tights that are forest green, with the final addition of orange stilettos. It’s like she dressed in the dark, but somehow all the clashing colors work for her. Her lips, Carolina notices, are a bright purple.

Clubs are the same on every planet: loud, dark, and crowded. Carolina can’t keep track of everyone within weapons-range, or keep a personal bubble around her. She slides onto a stool, placing her back to the bartender, and scans the crowd anyway. She tries to hold onto her hard-won calm, reminding herself that most of the club-goers are wearing clothing too tight to hide any weapons. Her own concealed firearm is nestled a holster at the small of her back. Some of the outfits look ready to rip at the seams from one ill-timed sneeze. And even if things do go south somehow, Kaikaina is by her elbow, hitting on the bartender.

Kaikaina pushes a drink into her hand and leans in, shouting to be heard above the music. “Let’s party, bitch!” She grins, and in that smile Carolina sees a ghost of another’s dangerous grin, urging her to down a half-dozen shots and then dance with a random guy on the dance floor.

Carolina takes the shot in one swallow. Whatever it is, it’s smooth. When it hits her stomach, warmth spreads and banishes the memory of Niner’s grin. Carolina licks her lips, chasing the slightly citrus aftertaste. She smiles at Kaikaina. It’s only partially forced. “Line me up a few more shots, and we’ll party.”

Kaikaina beams at her.

Three shots later, Carolina’s in the middle of the dance floor, her heart pounding in time to the music. She’s already wondering if she should take off her jacket, and then remembering that someone will object to her gun. She dances, turning her movements into a private game. She slides between her fellow dancers, awarding herself a point if she slips through the small gaps without touching anyone, deducting a point if she accidentally brushes someone’s arm or hip.

She sees a flash of purple and recognizes it a second before Kaikaina’s hand touches her hip and her chin hooks onto Carolina’s shoulder. She’s already sweating, the sheen of it catching the pulsing lights. Her perfume tickles Carolina’s nose.

Kaikaina doesn’t grind up on her like Carolina half-expects, just stays still for a moment, her hand resting lightly on Carolina’s hip. Her hot breath smells like citrus, and her lipstick is apparently glow-in-the-dark. It glows as she grins. “Having fun?” she shouts into Carolina’s ear.

Carolina smiles. “A little,” she admits, and feels Kaikaina’s laughter more than hears it. She relaxes slowly, the vibrations from the music moving up her legs and loosening tight muscles. It’s been so long since she’s been out of her armor like this, as vulnerable as the dancers surrounding her, letting herself have fun. The tension coiled in her stomach unravels a little more. This was a good idea.

She closes her eyes, swaying to the beat. Kaikaina sways with her.

The DJ has gone through two songs before Kaikaina asks, giggling a little, “So, see anyone you like?”

Carolina’s laugh surprises the both of them. She opens her eyes, casting an appraising look over the crowd. Most people are already paired up, but there’s a few dancing by themselves. Still, finding someone for the night sounds complicated. She doesn’t want to lose this loose, relaxed feeling. She shakes her head. “Not tonight.”

Kaikaina shifts so that they’re face to face. She’s still grinning, though in the light and shadow of the club Carolina thinks there’s a puzzled slant to it, like she can’t comprehend someone not wanting to end the night getting laid. Then she shrugs and laughs again. “Okay. Want another drink?”

“Honestly? I’d rather just dance,” Carolina says.

Kaikaina grins. “Then let’s fucking dance.”

 

* * *

 

Grif squints at Carolina as she approaches. The memorial park is quiet. There’s only a few mid-morning joggers passing by, shooting them curious looks before moving on.

“You’re hungover,” he says, confusion in the quirk of his eyebrows and the lilt of his voice. When Carolina pauses, surprised, he snorts. “Please, I’ve been nursing Kaikaina through hangovers since she was in middle school. I know that walk.”

Carolina sits down on the ground beside him. It must have rained after she’d returned to her apartment. There’s still a faint dampness to the grass; she ignores it. Her head’s pounding faintly, and even after a few glasses of water her mouth still feels dry. She tilts her head and says, “Funny you should mention your sister….”

Grif’s eyes narrow. “What the fuck did she do?”

“She invited me clubbing. Well, not so much invited as demanded--”

“Carolina,” Grif says, and there’s genuine horror in his voice. He stares at her, and she has a second to wonder at his stricken expression before he breathes, “Please tell me you didn’t sleep with my sister. _Please_.”

Carolina laughs, and like the night before the unexpected sound startles herself as well as Grif. She says dryly, “You’re safe. We went clubbing, drank too much, and then she went home with the bartender.”

“Thank fuck,” Grif says. He makes a face, half-apologetic. “No offense. It’s just I’d like to have one friend who hasn’t seen my sister naked.”

She’s warmed through by the easy way he calls her his friend, though she knows that she shouldn’t be surprised. She says, clamping down on a smirk and feigning thoughtfulness, “I don’t know if I’m that friend. Does shirtless count? She did get on top of the bar and--”

Grif clamps his hands to his ears and groans, “Don’t tell me, don’t tell me, don’t tell me.”

“I’m kidding,” she says.

He shoots her a suspicious look, and then relaxes. “Good.”

She crosses her legs, positions herself so that she’s comfortable. After a second she says, “You might have mentioned you missed our meditation sessions.”

The pale skin patch on his cheek turns pink. “Uh, first of all, they’re called lazy lessons, padawan. Get the name right. Second, I didn’t-- oh, fuck.”

The alarm in his voice has Carolina tensing, regretting sitting down and putting herself at a disadvantage against any enemy.

But as quickly as dismay shows on Grif’s face, it’s gone. Half-frustration, half-amusement replaces it and Grif drawls, “Guess the lazy lesson is postponed. We’ve having a picnic.”

“A picnic?” Carolina asks, and glances towards the walking path.

Kaikaina strides towards them, a huge, ridiculous-looking picnic basket in one hand, and a trail of Reds and Blues following behind her like ducklings. “Hey, Dex! Hey, bitch!” she shouts, waving her free hand at them.

“Ugh. Why are you here?” Grif groans.

Kaikaina’s face is half-hidden by huge sunglasses, but her grin widens. “Aw, you know you’re glad to see me. I figured Carolina needed some a Grif family style pick-me-up after partying last night, which means greasy food, and then Caboose asked why I was borrowing from his and Tucker’s fridge, and then--”

“We decided to have a picnic!” Caboose says, beaming. He flops down on the grass between Grif and Carolina. “Hey, that cloud looks like Freckles!” He jabs an excited finger towards the sky.

“It sure does, buddy,” Grif says without looking up. He frowns at his sister. “Why were you stealing their food? You have your own fridge--”

“Filled with vodka and beer, dude,” says Tucker. He holds up a six-pack. “It’s five o’clock somewhere, right?”

“Sure. On another planet,” Wash says dryly.

“Are there any tables?” Simmons looks around, frowning. “Does Chorus have ants? Sarge and I brought some blankets, but maybe--”

“Oh no, ants,” Grif deadpans. As Simmons huffs, Grif glances sideways at Carolina. He half-shrugs at her and says, “Hey, I’m not passing up free food. We'll do a lazy lesson tomorrow.”

“And there’s a chicken, and there’s a snake,” Caboose says happily.

“Oh, a snake? That’s not my first thought,” Donut says, laughing.

“I’ll bet,” Simmons mutters.

Kaikaina passes Carolina a thermos. “Here!”

“Thanks,” Carolina says, eyeing the thermos and wondering about its contents. She doesn’t immediately drink it. Besides, her headache is fading the longer she sits here, with cool air and warm sunlight on her skin, and the cheerful banter among the Reds and Blues in her ears. She takes a deep breath, and then another, and smiles up at Kaikaina. “Thank you for last night.”

Kaikaina grins. “Hey, I’m not altruistic. It was fun. And that suit was smoking hot.”

“Kaikaina, don’t hit on my friends,” Grif growls.

Kaikaina narrows her eyes. “Bitch, I’m paying her a compliment!”

“A suit?” Tucker says. He squints in Carolina’s direction. “Who wears a suit to go clubbing?”

Kaikaina laughs. “You didn’t see her in it.”

“I’d like to see her out of it! Bow-chicka--” Tucker’s brain apparently catches up with his mouth at that point, because his mouth snaps shut and he does a full-body cringe. He holds his hands up defensively. “Please don’t kill me.”

Carolina contemplates getting up, just to make him flinch again, and then stays still as Caboose pauses in his study of the clouds to grin and say, “I bet you looked really pretty in it, Carolina!”

“Thank you, Caboose,” she says.

Tucker eyes Carolina warily, and then relaxes when she doesn’t move. Then he frowns in Kaikaina’s direction. “Seriously, K, you took Carolina clubbing without me?”

“Hoes before bros,” Kaikaina says, grinning.

Tucker nods slowly, like she has a point. Then he crosses his arms. “I want in next time.”

Kaikaina’s still smiling, but the grin doesn’t quite reach her eyes, which ask Carolina two questions.

_Will there be a next time? If there is, do you want Tucker there?_

Carolina buys herself a moment by twisting off the top of the thermos and taking a sip. The salty, spicy taste of a Bloody Mary bursts on her tongue. She’s not even slightly surprised. She swallows the mouthful and passes the thermos back to Kaikaina.

“I don’t know that you’d fit in during a girls night out, Tucker,” she says and watches his face fall. She lets him stew in disappointment, getting revenge for earlier, before she tilts her head and adds, “How about a test run? If you manage zero bow chicka wow wows tomorrow night, you can keep coming.” She stops, letting the words hang in the air, and sees Grif start smirking out of the corner of her eyes.

Tucker’s grin freezes. He visibly swallows back a sex joke. His voice is slightly strained as he says, “A test run. I can do that.”

“Ten bucks says he fucks it up within five minutes,” Grif drawls.

“I’ll take that action,” Kaikaina says, overlapping with Donut’s glib, “Oh, I think he won’t even make it past seeing Carolina in her suit!”

“Good point, Donut,” Simmons says. His cyborg eye glows brighter as he thinks. “Still, Tucker has some strong motivation, so…. Twenty minutes for me.”

“Guys, guys. Tucker has matured a lot since I first met him,” Wash says sternly. “You should trust him more than that.” He pauses. “He’ll last at least forty-five minutes.”

Tucker, who started smiling as Wash defended him, scowls. “I hate all of you.”

Carolina laughs, half under her breath, softly enough that only Kaikaina and Grif hear. They both glance at her as she says, “I’m going ten bucks with Donut.”

“Carolina,” Tucker whines, looking betrayed.

She raises an eyebrow, and lets herself smile. “You haven’t seen me in my suit.”


End file.
